Mark Little is talking about performing in drag. He is also talking about starring in Peter Pan. The two topics are entirely unconnected.

Next month the former Neighbours star (in a fast-paced interview he doesn’t mention it once) is taking on the role of Captain Hook at Rhyl’s Pavilion Theatre.

Joining him on stage will be Derek Moran (as Peter Pan) one of the main presenters on Channel 5’s Milkshake and Juliet Cadzow (as Mrs Darling) who plays Edie McCredie in TV series Balamory.

It is a role that Little is relishing. Indeed playing the bad guy in pantomime may be the one time that an actor would actively welcome jeers from the audience.

Or as he puts it: “I’ve coined a phrase which is my contribution to the panto lexicon, ‘I’m only here for the boos.’”

He did not need to go far to find inspiration: “He’s like Donald Trump, he feeds off the hatred. The more you hate him the more he loves it. I see him as an Old Etonian like Boris Johnson or George Osborne.”

But he has sought more traditional sources namely Dustin Hoffman in the 1991 film Hook and Johnny Depp’s Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. Hugh Jackman’s Blackbeard in last year’s widely derided Pan - seen by critics more as an invitation than a movie title - doesn’t get a mention.

He is no stranger to panto. Since arriving in the UK 24 years ago from his native Australia he has starred - he thinks - in 15 of them. For the jobbing actor they are a welcome source of income, especially after a lean year.

Unlike the panto’s central character, Little, a grandfather, has grown up and he is pretty sure he has never heard a funny panto joke.

“I’m not the target audience,” he laughs, “their sense of humour is aimed at six year olds. It is meant to be corny and a lot of it is about how you say it.

“I’m at that age where you can’t the hero any more. Some of the Buttons are a bit old.”

Charging around on stage for 40 performances can take its toll but it has another bonus: “I can lose up to half a stone on stage. It’s handy just ahead of Christmas.”

It also means he will miss the birth of his second grandchild which is due around the time he is in North Wales.

“That’s the life of an actor. I don’t want to sound glib but our job is make magic for the audience. People can forget about everything for a few hours.”

Panto isn’t his only experience of camp though. Some years ago he won plaudits playing performance artist Leigh Bowery in the warts n’ all biopic of Boy George, Taboo.

“He was the gayest man in Christendom. It was great freedom to play him. But I had to fight with the producers to show off my bum and I had to fight to wear a merkin. They said ‘will a fluffy pink one do?’

“It was like a giant panto for adults.”

He wants to bring a little of Bowery’s outrageousness to the role of Hook: “He is one of the fun characters, who’s been at sea so long he can barely get his land legs.”

Ahead of rehearsals he is practising his Welsh. The last time he was in the country he picked up a smattering of the language namely “perygl”.

“We were on tour around Wales and were drinking vodka Redbulls which we called ‘perygl’ as in danger. But I will give it a go, it’s only fair but it is a hard one to get right.”

He hopes too to visit some of the sights: “North Wales is the fourth best place to visit according to Lonely Planet. I’d love to get up Snowdonia and hopefully I will get the chance to see some bush. You have to get out and see the nature.

“Time is very limited and you are exhausted but it’s good to give the soul something back.”

Mark Little plays Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl between Friday December 9 – Saturday January 7. Tickets are £9 - £17 with special group rates so call the Box Office on 01745 33 00 00 to book your tickets now or book online at www.rhylpavilion.co.uk .